Turf mold, algae and fungus may be devastating to grass in parks, cemeteries and golf courses. For example, the quality of a golf course is often measured by the quality of the grass, particularly on the greens. Many golf courses treat the greens with various fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides to maintain the quality of the greens and inhibit the growth and reproduction of various turf molds, algae and fungi. It has been noted that golf courses may apply pesticides at higher concentrations per acre than any other land use. These high concentrations of use cause concern of runoff contamination to surrounding waterways, wildlife and communities.
Specifically, the runoff of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides is thought to effect the biochemical oxygen demand of any surrounding bodies of water and environments. Bio-chemical oxygen demand is the amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose the organic matter in water, such as that polluted by sewage and organic chemicals, and is used as a measure of the degree of water pollution. Natural organic debris and organic waste from agricultural and urban runoff are a food source for water-borne bacteria. The bacteria consume these organic materials using dissolved oxygen in the water, thus reducing the dissolved oxygen present for fish and other aquatic life. The more organic debris and waste there is in the water, such as hydrocarbons from the fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides used on the golf courses, the more food there is available to the bacteria. The more food there is available to the bacteria, the more oxygen the bacteria will consume, thereby depleting the oxygen available for any fish, plants and other aquatic life that relies on that body of water.
Further, the various fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides often used by golf courses, parks and other open land areas contain other dangerous chemicals that can build up in the soil and runoff into nearby waterways, thereby polluting both the land and the water. For example, pesticides can be toxic, and build up because of their slow degradation time. Also, many herbicides and pesticides are toxic to aquatic life.